Arab Pacifists Demand an End to Violence in Libya

The Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), as a worldwide network of peacebuilders, supports the following call by our fellow GPPAC members, Arab pacifists and peace advocates in the Middle East and North Africa.

With deep concern and sadness, we are following the escalation of violent disputes by and between states and non-state actors in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, leading to untold suffering among its peoples.

The information coming out from Libya in the past few days signals another armed conflict that will create an even greater schism in this divided country.

It is time to act now! We call upon the United Nations (UN) and the UN Security Council to do what they can to stop this conflict through nonviolent means. If no action is taken, we believe that Libya will spiral into a protracted armed conflict.

We continue to believe that the Special Representative of the SecretaryGeneral and Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya, Mr. Ghassan Salama, must play a vital role to contain this crisis. There must be a national dialogue that leads to unification and a civic-democratic state in Libya. These must be inclusive processes which ensure the meaningful participation of women and youth peace activists and human rights defenders in line with UNSCR1325 and successive women, peace and security resolutions; and UNSCR 2250 on youth, peace and security.

We welcome UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ dedication to conflict prevention, his offer of UN facilitation in Libya, and the UN’s commitment of support to the Libyan people.

We call upon the opposing forces and different parties to bring an immediate end to the aggression targeting the capital city of Tripoli; to stop all forms of violence and allow the Libyan people to form a national dialogue between all parties, with the inclusion of faith leaders.

There is also an urgent need to investigate and put an immediate end to the use of child soldiers in Libya.

We also call on all regional and international organisations - governmental and non-governmental - to take a strong and determined stance to end all kinds of violent conflicts in Libya and elsewhere in the MENA region.

It is time to end the suffering of the people of MENA and to begin building peace, stability and prosperity.